spanish moro wars

spanish moro wars

Moros to the Spaniards

in the sixteenth century, European colonial powers such as Portugal and Spain wanted to conquer Southeast Asia in order to, first, control the spice trade which was then driving the world economy; and second, in the words of the Portuguese Viceroy, to “[cast] the Moors out of this country [Malacca], and [quench] the fire of this sect of (Muhammad) so that it may never burst out again hereafter.” Armed encounters with the Muslims and military expeditions to Mindanao and Borneo occurred almost as soon as the Spaniards settled in the Islands; historian Cesar Adib Majul charted six stages of the so-called Moro Wars that took place from the mid-1500s to the late 1800s.

Moros to the Spaniards

Brunei Invasion

Among the Spanish missions was the 1578 military expedition in Mindanao, which aimed to: 1) have the Moro acknowledge Spanish dominion; 2) establish trade with the Moro, and explore and exploit the natural resources of the land; 3) end Moro piracy and raids against Spanish ships and Christianized settlements; and 4) convert the Moro like the other Philippine groups. The head of the expedition was instructed to quash the “[preaching] of the doctrine of Mahoma, since it is evil and false, and that of the Christians alone is good.” These guiding principles are said to have held fast and defined Spain’s relation to the Moro for the next three centuries.

began with the arrival of Legaspi in 1571

-ended with the invasion of Brunei

-Muslims changes their military strategy from defensive to offensive

1599 – Datu Salikula and Datu Sirungan (chiefs of Maguindanao and Buayan) respectively launched a joint force attacking a major Spanish base in Central Visayas

1602 – another offensive was carried out by the Muslims and the forces were commanded by Datu Buisan (successor of Datu Salikula & Datu Sirungan)

October 29, 1603 – Rajah Buisan together with his allies from Sangila & Ternate invaded Dulag, Leyte

September 8, 1605 – peace treaty was signed (did not hold long because of the Spanish invasion of Ternate in April 1608)

March 1609 – signing of another peace treaty (put the war to rest for at least 25 years)

1627 – war resumed but now with the Sulu sultanate

-triggered by a maltreatment suffered by Sulu envoy, Datu Ache

Rajah Bungsu (sultan of Sulu) – led 2000 warriors and attacked the Spanish base and ship yard in Camarines Sur and Central Visayas

1628 – Spaniards retaliated against the Sulu attack

1629 – Sulu sultanate sent another expedition led by Datu Ache

- They attacked the Spanish settlements in Camarines, Samar, Leyte and Bohol

March 17, 1630 – Spaniards invaded Sulu (again)

Commander Lorenzo de Olaso was wounded

1631 – Sulu warriors launched another invasion aimed at Leyte (seat of Spanish power in Visayas)

Sultan Qudarat – Buayan & Sangil leaders were brought under his control

Married the daughter of Rajah Bungsu (sultan of Sulu in 1632)

-the Sultanates of Mindanao and Sulu mustered a coordinated military attack and joint invasion of Central Visayas

1634 – they mobilized 1500 warriors who landes at Dapitan, Leyte and Bohol

the need to make vessels of the chiefs of

Sulu and Maguindanao

-Spaniards explored Sulu archipelago and even threatened to attack Sulu

-they conducted military missions to Maguindanao and then the Cotabato area

intensions

-to make the Muslims pay tribute

-induce them not to allow foreign missionaries

-gather information about Muslims

-to know the relationship between the Maguindanao and the Ternatans and other people in Indonesia